Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 291 -

*Olivia*

The minute we pulled into the driveway, I reluctantly slid back into my own seat. My face was burning bright red, no doubt, as I knew I'd have hickeys all along my neck in the morning. Giovani sent me a rather smug smile at that as I tried my

best to pull my shirt up over the marks.

Giovani walked me to my room and I reluctantly parted with him.

"Goodnight, Olivia," he said softly to me.

"Night," I whispered as he shut the door. I wished for a moment that I could've invited him inside or followed him to his bedroom. He was warm and comforting and for some reason, I felt safer around him than alone. But that was just a wishful thought.

I yawned as I shed my clothes, getting into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt I'd had for years as I climbed into bed. I made sure to plug in my phone and collapsed into the warm fluffiness of my pillows.

I sighed, relaxing as my exhaustion took over me. It took no time at all for my eyes to close and drift off to sleep.

I don't know how long it was, but by the time I woke up, it was still dark out, and I rolled over, trying to catch a few more hours of sleep.

But there was something wrong.

Just as I finally got comfy, I felt the edge of my bed lowering, like someone had sat on it. I frowned, wondering, before something strong and hard wrapped around my mouth.

I screamed, but it was no use as the noise was stifled underneath the large hand pressing my jaw together. A dark figure slid on top of me, a man with dark eyes who glared down at me.

He pinned me to the bed, and I struggled underneath him, trying to scream or do anything to get away. I threw my legs up, hoping to throw him off, but it was no use. He was too strong. He gripped my wrists in one hand and pinned them to the headboard.

A nasty grin slid across his face as he stared down at me. He was saying something I couldn't hear, like I was underwater and straining to hear on the surface.

There was a flash of silver in his other hand, and I quickly paled as I realized what it was-a knife, and a very large one.

The moonlight through the window flickered across the man's shadowy face, illuminating the sharp weapon in his hand.

I screamed, tears flooding my eyes even as I knew nobody could hear it. I was trapped, pinned to the bed as this madman hovered over me.

I sobbed as he brushed the edge of his knife along my cheek, slow and purposeful. He said something in that weird muffled language again, and I only shook my head, not understanding.

He gripped my chin so hard I felt like it could snap in two as he forced me to gaze up at him. He snarled something in his language and pressed the knife against my throat.

I swallowed, the tiniest nick of the knife cutting into my skin. It stung, and I flinched away, pressing myself against the bed as far as I could go.

He demanded something again, and I only sobbed, shaking my head once more.

"I don't know!" I tried to yell, but only muffled shrieks came from my lips.

The man's face split into a large grin, and I watched in silent terror as his eyes slit into snake-like pupils, and he hissed. His forked tongue spat out from his mouth like a reptile, too long. "Goodbye," the man hissed in that snake-like voice before he pulled his hand across my throat- the knife piercing into my flesh.

A scream bubbled up in my throat as my eyes flashed open. The gray ceiling greeted me, empty and plain, and there was no sign of any lizard person.

I tested my fingers, moving them as I found I was unrestrained. Slowly, I reached up to grasp my throat, still feeling the haunting weight of the knife pressed against it.

It was just a nightmare.

I grasped my blanket, choking on my silent tears as I tossed in bed, curling into a ball.

I was getting really tired of these nightmares. I stayed there, curled into a ball as my eyes kept flickering to the alarm clock.

An hour passed, then another.

And soon, my body ached from how long I'd been pressed into the same position. My eyes refused to close any longer. I sighed deeply.

I threw the covers away from me as I impatiently got out of bed and put on my slippers. I tossed on my hoodie for extra warmth and made my way to the door.

I was extra stealthy as I gently pulled open my door as quietly as possible. The hallway was empty. As usual, there was nobody awake but me, though there might be guards outside for all I knew.

I brushed my hair away from my face, clutching the hoodie closer to my body as I crept down the stairs. I took the right into the kitchen and halted in my tracks.

Despite the darkness, I knew I wasn't alone after all. A shadowy figure sat at the island, hunched over.

My blood pumped as adrenaline filled my body, and for a moment, I thought of the figure in my dream with his forked tongue and slitted eyeballs.

I took a step back, intending to head back to my room, but I bumped into something cold and hard, something that made a loud thump as I hit it.

"Who's there?" The figure's head whirled up, and I flinched in surprise. It sounded familiar to me-not anything like the nightmare-ish figures I had dreamt. No longer afraid, I stepped into the kitchen and flipped on the light.

Alessandro sat at the island, an alarmed look on his face when he saw me.

"Olivia?" he questioned, confused. There was a steaming mug in his hands, and I quickly realized he'd come here for the same reason I had.

I glanced at the teapot on the stove. It was still steaming. He hadn't been here for that long.

"Uh, sorry," I said, a bit sheepish now as I bit my bottom lip. "I just wanted some tea."

He smiled, a bit crooked but with the same boyish charm I always associated with him.

"Great minds think alike," he chuckled, waving to the teapot. "Help yourself."

"Thanks," I relaxed at the softer and more friendly attitude he gave off. I supposed he really only had a problem with Giovani.

I still didn't know what that was, but I was sure it wasn't anything serious. The kitchen was quiet as I grabbed a mug from the cabinet and poured the hot water into it. I raided the stash of tea bags and picked out my favorite from the group. It settled into the water, and already I could smell the flavor of the tea seeping out. I turned back to Alessandro, awkwardly.

I wasn't sure if he wanted to be alone or if I even wanted to take the chair at the island. Luckily, he made the decision for me.

"Take a seat," he offered with a quirk of his lips. "I won't bite."

I laughed, nodding as the tension in my shoulders drained away. I took the seat beside him gladly, setting my mug gently on the island.

"We haven't seen each other in forever," Alessandro started with a soft glance. "How have you been?"

"Um," I hummed as I took a sip of my tea. "You mean, besides this trip?"

I grinned as he chuckled. "Yeah, besides this trip. I know it's been a tough couple of days."

"You have no idea," I sighed. "Things are more complicated than I thought they would be. Things were so much easier when we were kids."

"Can't deny that," Alessandro agreed. "I'd take treehouses over taxes any day."

I smiled at the thought. Alessandro and Tallon's treehouse in the backyard had been a big point of contention between them and Dahlia. I remembered when they put up a "No Girls Allowed" sign, and Dahlia had thrown a fit until their mom made them take it down.

"Hey, um," Alessandro said awkwardly, and my attention snapped to him. "Sorry about how I acted earlier. I probably scared you, but I didn't mean to. I was just worried about Dahlia, and I... I just wanted to apologize."

He gazed at me, and I frowned at the guilty look in his eyes. I'd seen it many times when we were kids. When he said something mean to me or Dahlia, he'd come back and say he was sorry.

He'd always had a temper, and when he got going, I knew how sharp his tongue could be. I had been scared earlier in the hospital. His anger was explosive, and I feared he'd take it out on all of us.

But Giovani had been there to calm him down and help him to keep a level head.

Though I didn't approve of his behavior, I hated the sad look in Alessandro's eyes.

"I won't say it's okay," I started softly.

He flinched, his shoulders slumping in defeat, but I only smiled softly and grabbed his hand. He gazed up at me hopefully.

"But I understand why you were angry. I wasn't exactly myself either. It was for Dahlia's sake, so it's not that big of a deal. You don't need to apologize to me." 'But you do to Giovani,' I wanted to say.

It rubbed me the wrong way that the two were at odds with one another, specifically the way that Alessandro had treated him like an enemy. It wasn't fair.

Alessandro squeezed my hand back with a grin on his face as he nodded. "Thanks, Livi."

"No problem," I beamed, happy to help as I retracted my hand. "It's not like I've never messed up either."

I went to take a sip of my tea, but I paused as I caught the mischievous look in his eyes.

"Oh, you mean like the time you tried to bake a cake for Dahlia's birthday?" he asked innocently.

I choked on my spit, setting my coffee down as my face heated up. I couldn't believe he still remembered that or that he would bring it up.

"I don't remember that." I played dumb, avoiding his gaze as he only laughed.

"Oh, but I do," he grinned. "You tried to make a four-tier cake for her birthday and dragged me along to help, remember? I told you to wait for your mom's help, but you wouldn't listen, and you climbed to the top shelf of the pantry cabinet to get the flour, and whoosh!"

He threw his arms down in dramatic effect, fixing me with a smirk as I sunk lower in my seat. I was blushing incredibly hard at this point.

"The kitchen and the both of us ended up covered in flour. Your mom blamed me for the whole thing." He sent me a smug look. "Don't you remember that, Livi?"

"Fine, yes I do," I laughed, covering my face in embarrassment. "But I swear I didn't mean to get you in trouble for it. Why did you take the blame back then anyway? You could've told them it was me."

"Eh." He shrugged, sending me a flirtatious wink. "I was just being a gentleman. I had to save the beautiful damsel, didn't I?"

"Yeah, right," I laughed. "Beautiful damsel? Me?"

"But you are."

I paused at the low and serious voice that came out of his mouth, and I met his eyes. Alessandro gazed at me deeply, not one sign of him joking on his face.

I was stunned to silence, unable to answer as the mood flipped in that single instant. Alessandro's hand headed straight for me, and I flinched as his hand cupped my cheek.

He leaned forward, and I knew what he was trying to do.

Alessandro was trying to kiss me.